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Harper hoping to shine

The Seagulls pulled off a coup this week when they announced the signing of teenage starlet Harper from Real Madrid.

The 19-year-old striker, born in Malaga to Scottish parents, has been at the Bernabeu since he was 13 and last season played for the Spanish giants’ youth side in the UEFA Youth League.

But Harper has now agreed a two-year contract with Brighton in a bid to get first-team football.

He told the club website: “I’ve got experience of playing in a different country and I’m ready to bring it to England. I would say that I’m a natural goalscorer; I’ve got the natural Spanish technique, but I work like a Scotsman.

“It was a great experience to be playing against some of the top sides in Europe last season, but I want more first-team football and it was getting quite complicated at Real Madrid.

“I was keen for a move, but I wasn’t sure where to go. I had a few options, and one of the scouts in Spain painted a really good picture of Brighton & Hove Albion and everything he told me has been the case.

“Talking with my family and my agent, I felt that this was the best option for my future. Brighton is a club on the rise, so it was perfect situation for me to go forward.”